Beltane Beltane Moon
“Life’s single lesson: that there is more accident to it than a man (sic) can ever admit to in a lifetime and stay sane.”
Thomas Pynchon
In a sense, of course, the fates represent the exact opposite of the Pynchon quote. That is, nothing happens by accident; perhaps they are the ancient and mythic equivalent of the strange folks in cognitive science these days who say we have no free will.
On the other hand, all those accidents looked at retrospectively can have a fated feel. What Pynchon does is remind us of the true randomness of events that in the rear view mirror seem to have happened with sequential causation.
Caprice might seem to have a chilling affect on the notion of a life, especially a life lived with purpose, according to a plan, headed toward a goal. Yet. It could free us from the burden of pressing our life forward, having to be at the wheel every moment attentive to the other drivers, no nodding off.
The old theological joke, which I never liked, is, “Man plans; God laughs.” Take God out of the equation and we can see what is meant. Life has too many unforseens, too many dips and twists, too many accidents.
Does this mean we shouldn’t plan? I suppose not, but it does suggest a realistic humility about accounting for all the variables ahead.